Working my way out of an illustration funk. I kept sketching and nothing clicked. Nothing. But, the double happiness symbol kept surfacing in my thinking...so I am doing a quick sketch (nooks and crannies of time today) of a chocolate box style valentine of the double happiness combined with florals... which, If I really design this thing, it could be nice...but over the top with the dragons too. So, dragons one and chocolate box one (or maybe it's candied lychee nuts or dim sum?) Need to get back on the illustration beat. Have a few sections still to scribe in the paper due on May 1st. So, a bit of leaning into the paper with a bit of energy on the illustration is needed.

Ordered a new tower the week before the trip. My computer is seconds from meltdown--and is close to nine years old. So, a new macintosh is coming to me. I am tired of waiting and waiting for the image to change and not being able to work in more than one program at a time. Its very exciting--but really needed. My productivity is compromised.

So, more linoleum cutting needs to happen. This amazing student we saw at Hampshire, Wilson Kemp, had some extrodinary linoleum prints that he cut on golden cutthat he printed at Amherst College. We saw a ton of letterpress work (simple stuff but really pretty) at RISD with the student guides chattering excitedly about how wonderful the letterpress was. Then we went off to have mexican food at Taqueria Pacificaand adorning the walls of this restaurant (on one side of the room) and bar on the other (separate operations) was a ton of experimental letterpress work (letters...no images). Taqueria Pacifica was part of the AS220 Artists Collective who define themselves this way:
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AS220 is a non-profit community arts space in downtown Providence. Our mission is to provide an unjuried and uncensored forum for the arts. If you live in the state of Rhode Island, you will get an opportunity to exhibit or perform at AS220.

AS220 is part Incubator and part Bazaar.
We also build new audiences and infrastructure for artists to stimulate the cultural mulch in Rhode Island.

So, they offer studio space, living space, performance spaces, a restaurant/bar and a letterpress shop for the members of AS220. I want to know how soon I can join! It is wayyyytooo cool.

So, circuitiously I am so charged about printmaking, scratchboard making. But first more images, images to correct and paper prelims to finish. I also found some way cool alternative resources that I am reluctant to broadcast until I try them out for myself. Just need to shake these old funkibones and get them moving to create and finish.